A court in France has sentenced an Algerian islamic militant to four years in prison after he was found guilty of heading a terrorist network.

Omar Saiki, was one of more than twenty Algerians arrested in the weeks leading up to the 1998 Football World Cup finals but the only one to be convicted of terrorist activities.

The French authorities had maintained that those arrested were members of an islamic guerilla group who'd planned attacks in France during the four week event.

Human rights activists have accused the French authorities of exaggerating the potential threat to the tournament. Seven others were found guilty of association with a terrorist group while the rest were aquitted.

Correspondents said none of those convicted will go to prison as they have already served their sentences in pre-trial detention.